Canadian team [the winners of Group E] exploded for three goals in the third period to break a 1:1 tie and defeated Slovakia 4:1 on May 17 at Riga Arena, that way earning a 'date' with Sweden in one semi-final on Saturday.
Dusan Milo scored a goal for Slovakia with 17.36 of the first period on the game clock.
Mike Cammalleri scored an equalizer on a pass from Brendan Shanahan fourteen minutes into the second period.
With twelve minutes gone in the final period, Partice Bergeron made the score 2:1 for Canada. Sidney Crosby added a third goal in just over a minute later, on a pass from Bergeron. And just nine seconds after that, Jeff Carter nailed the fourth goal for Canada in this match.
Playing excellent defense, Canada stayed out of the penalty box and waited patiently for its scoring chances to turn into goals. The team got goals from four different players and outshot the Slovaks 42-23.
Meanwhile, Sweden's hopes for IHWC gold are also still alive, as Swedish team comfortably beat the US team 6:0 to secure a semifinal place in the championship.
The Swedes first scored when Mika Hannula netted off a Ronnie Sundin assist with 2.48 gone in the first period.
With 15.40 on the clock thanks to Hannula Sweden struck with a second goal.
The second period brought a third goal for Sweden, when Mikael Samuelsson snuck a shot between the legs of the US goalkeeper.
A fourth Sweden goal made it even harder for the US to make it to the semifinals, when Kenny Jonsson scored from a Mikael Nylander assist.
In the game's final period, Mika Hannula scored a hat trick of goals when he beat the US goalkeeper in a one on one break.
Andreas Karlsson scored Sweden's sixth and final goal during last minutes the game, easily beating the US defense to score from a Tony Martensson assist.
Sweden's Player of the Game was Mika Hannula, and Ryan Kesler got the honors for the USA. The USA's three best players of Riga 2006 were also named: Andrew Alberts, Dustin Brown, and Ryan Malone.
